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[122]
But David was under no consternation at this confederacy, nor at
the forces of the Ammonites; and putting his trust in God, because he was
going to war in a just cause, on account of the injurious treatment he
had met with, he immediately sent Joab, the captain of his host, against
them, and gave him the flower of his army, who pitched his camp by Rabbah,
the metropolis of the Ammonites; whereupon the enemy came out, and set
themselves in array, not all of them together, but in two bodies; for the
auxiliaries were set in array in the plain by themselves, but the army
of the Ammonites at the gates over against the Hebrews. When Joab saw this,
he opposed one stratagem against another, and chose out the most hardy
part of his men, and set them in opposition to the king of Syria, and the
kings that were with him, and gave the other part to his brother Abishai,
and bid him set them in opposition to the Ammonites; and said to him, that
in case he should see that the Syrians distressed him, and were too hard
for him, he should order his troops to turn about and assist him; and he
said that he himself would do the same to him, if he saw him in the like
distress from the Ammonites. So he sent his brother before, and encouraged
him to do every thing courageously and with alacrity, which would teach
them to be afraid of disgrace, and to fight manfully; and so he dismissed
him to fight with the Ammonites, while he fell upon the Syrians. And though
they made a strong opposition for a while, Joab slew many of them, but
compelled the rest to betake themselves to flight; which, when the Ammonites
saw, and were withal afraid of Abishai and his army, they staid
no longer, but imitated their auxiliaries, and fled to the city. So Joab,
when he had thus overcome the enemy, returned with great joy to Jerusalem
to the king.
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